Bill for auctioning revoked casino licenses passes House

A bill to allow the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to auction revoked casino licenses to the “highest responsible bidder” passed the state House of Representatives on Wednesday, according to state Rep. Curt Schroder's office.

The legislation would allow competition to be statewide in light of the board's December 2010 decision to revoke the so-called Foxwoods casino license in Philadelphia after the effort failed to come on line, according to a news release.

State law has called for a certain number of casino licenses to be in Philadelphia, the board previously said.

Schroder, R-Chester County, is chairman of the House gaming oversight committee and sponsored House Bill 65. It provides for the board to initiate an auction of a revoked license within 30 days to the highest responsible bidder, the release stated.

A report commissioned by state Treasurer Rob McCord and released last year found York County to be a potentially lucrative new site for a casino compared with other potential takers.

Operating gaming facilities brought in tax revenue of about $1.28 billion from slot machines and about $81.4 million from table games in the 2010-11 fiscal year.